Chinese Astrology
How unique are you? Are you 1 in 500 or 1 in 13 million?
Chinese astrology is the most accurate form of astrology in the world. Comparing it with Western astrology, in which there are only about five hundred possible charts, Chinese astrology has almost 13 million different variations, making it much more precise and unique. However, the major difference between Chinese astrology and other forms of astrology is the ability to forecast problems in the coming months or years, and actually improve a person's prospects by introducing the Five Elements and simple, subtle cures.
The History of Chinese Astrology
Chinese astrology is believed to have been passed down from the Sumerian and Babylonian cultures to the Chinese almost 5,000 years ago. Astrology was originally for the sole use of the emperor as he was responsible for peace and harmony in the kingdom. For him to rule well and with authority, he needed accurate information from his astrologers. Today, Chinese astrology is used in conjunction with feng shui to map our internal landscape or personal chemistry to see how we react in our environment over any given period of time.
Originally known as "Five House" or "Five Planet" astrology, Chinese astrology was based on the five major planets in our Solar system; Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. Later, the Sun and Moon were added to make seven "stars" and provided the foundation for what is known as the Twenty Eight Lunar Mansions. This method provided an extremely accurate horoscope for society as a whole, but was unsuitable for individuals, so two new Chinese astrology systems were developed; one based on the Solar calendar called Ba Zi or the Four Pillars Of Destiny, the other based on the Lunar calendar, known as Zi Wei Dou Shu or "Purple Emperor" astrology.
The Four Pillars of Destiny Ba Zi Astrology
To generate a Four Pillars of Destiny chart, Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches (commonly known as the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac), are partnered to form what are known as "pillars". Multiplying the Five Elements with the Twelve Earthly Branches produces a cycle of sixty pillars. This is the Sexagesimal Cycle and has many uses in Feng Shui and Chinese astrology. In about 104BC, the sexagesimal cycle was also used to count the months of the year, with a cycle completed every five years. Xu Zi Ping (Song Dynasty 960-1279 AD), then went on to count the days and hours to produce an extremely accurate Chinese horoscope for individuals and so was born the Four Pillars of Destiny.
It is a common misconception that the animal for the year in which you were born is your only sign. Four Pillars of Destiny Chinese astrology charts have a Heavenly Stem and an Earthly Branch for the year, month, day and hour you were born, all of which interact and have an impact on your personal energy and fate.
With practice, Four Pillars of Destiny charts are easy to compile and we provide a Free Chinese Astrology Chart Calculator to generate charts for you. However, correct analysis of the Four Pillars of Destiny is an extremely complex subject. Fully understanding the complexities of a chart, and interpreting what it means is much more difficult, and Four Pillars of Destiny readings could even be considered an art form. A professional Feng Shui consultant can provide Chinese astrology readings in order to understand your personal energy, compare it with that of your home or business, and offer advise on how to use simple, subtle cures to create the perfect environment for you, your family and staff.
Zi Wei Dou Shu Astrology
Sometimes known as "Purple Emperor" or "Purple Star" astrology, a Zi Wei Dou Shu chart looks very different from a Four Pillars of Destiny chart, but still uses the same Five Elements and Chinese zodiac animals, or as they are known professionally, the "Heavenly Stems" and "Earthly Branches". However, because it is based on the Lunar Calendar, Zi Wei Dou Shu is a little more complicated than the more popular Four Pillars astrology. Learn more about Zi Wei Dou Shu Astrology.
Learn Professional Feng Shui Methods
The Feng Shui Institute's Distance Learning Courses cover every aspect of Feng Shui and Chinese astrology, and are suitable for all levels of experience; from complete beginners to established Feng Shui consultants and practitioners, teachers of Feng Shui, and Masters.
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